Not being able to settle on an appropriate title for his young master left Alfred feeling somewhat frustrated, and Marcus's unconventional suggestions had only made his concerns more pronounced.
Whether it was "Batman" or "Flying Mouse," both names gave him the distinct impression that Marcus wasn't taking the matter entirely seriously. The suggestions seemed to carry an undertone of playful mockery rather than genuine consideration for Bruce's heroic identity.
"I have serious doubts that Master Bruce will accept either of these options," Alfred said hesitantly, his voice carrying the weight of his uncertainty. He had known Bruce since childhood, and he was fairly confident that the young man would reject both titles outright.
Just as Alfred was contemplating how to diplomatically express his reservations, the sound of voices and footsteps echoed through Wayne Manor's grand entrance hall. Bruce and Selina had returned from their daily activities.
The two young people had finished their studies for the day and returned to the manor to prepare for another night of vigilante operations throughout Gotham's dangerous streets.
"Where should we patrol tonight?" Selina's voice carried through the corridors as they discussed their plans. "We've already covered most of Gotham except for the area around the church."
"So what if we've been everywhere?" Bruce replied with a touch of frustration in his tone. "Has Gotham actually gotten any better just because we've walked through it?"
"That's... a fair point," Selina admitted, her voice trailing off as she considered the sobering reality of their situation.
The two were engaged in animated conversation, debating which parts of Gotham City most needed their attention that evening. Despite months of vigilante work, they were both acutely aware that their efforts, while helping individual victims, hadn't created any meaningful change in the city's overall criminal culture.
Pushing open the heavy front door, Bruce called out loudly into the manor's spacious interior.
"Alfred, we're back!"
"Ah, Master Bruce!" Alfred responded with visible excitement, hurrying out from the dining area with an unusually bright smile on his weathered features. "Master, we have a very special guest waiting for you."
A guest?
This announcement immediately piqued both Bruce and Selina's curiosity. Wayne Manor rarely received visitors of any kind, and the few people who did show up usually fell into very specific categories.
Most legitimate visitors were Gordon stopping by to discuss police matters or seek assistance with particularly challenging cases. The unwelcome visitors, on the other hand, were typically assassins and criminals with rather poor judgment about their target selection.
But looking at Alfred's genuinely happy expression, this guest clearly didn't belong to either of those usual categories. The elderly butler's face was practically glowing with joy, suggesting someone far more welcome than a police or hired killer.
"Judging by how happy you look, this must be someone we know quite well, right?" Selina asked with growing curiosity, her sharp instincts picking up on Alfred's unusual enthusiasm.
"Indeed you do! He's waiting for both of you in the dining room," Alfred confirmed, his smile becoming even broader as he gestured toward the manor's interior.
Hearing Alfred's words, Bruce and Selina immediately rushed toward the dining room, their curiosity overwhelming any sense of caution. They were genuinely eager to discover the identity of this mysterious guest who could make Alfred so visibly happy.
In the Dining Room
Marcus was thoroughly enjoying the dinner that Alfred had prepared with his usual impeccable skill. He had already sensed Bruce and Selina's return to the manor through his enhanced awareness, but he continued eating calmly, savoring each bite of the perfectly prepared meal.
"Tea... Teacher?"
The two young people who burst into the dining room froze completely the moment they laid eyes on Marcus. The teacher they had missed so desperately, the mentor who had shaped their abilities and given meaning to their training, had finally returned.
"That's right, it's me," Marcus said with a warm smile, cutting another piece of steak and taking a deliberate bite. "Now sit down and eat. This steak really is excellent, and I need to test your abilities later, so you'll want your strength up."
"It's really you, Teacher!" Bruce shouted with pure joy and excitement, while Selina stared at Marcus with wide eyes filled with disbelief and happiness.
Ever since their last encounter during the mission to suppress the hellish passage beneath the church, they hadn't seen Marcus at all. During the long absence, they could only cherish their memories of their teacher and hope for his eventual return.
"It is indeed me," Marcus confirmed, his voice carrying both warmth and authority. "Now eat quickly. I want to evaluate your progress and see how much you've grown since I've been away."
"Yes, sir!" both students responded enthusiastically, immediately taking seats at the table and beginning to eat their dinner with obvious excitement and appetite.
Watching this heartwarming scene unfold, Alfred couldn't help but nod approvingly, his smile growing even more pronounced. It had been far too long since he had witnessed such a joyful atmosphere in Wayne Manor.
Only when Marcus was present could the manor truly feel like a home filled with warmth and genuine affection rather than just a grand but lonely estate.
After they finished their meal, Bruce and Selina eagerly approached Marcus, barely able to contain their excitement and curiosity about his long absence.
"Teacher, where have you been all these years?" Bruce asked earnestly. "Why haven't you come back to visit us? We've missed you so much."
"We thought maybe something had happened to you," Selina added, her voice carrying traces of the worry they had both felt during his absence.
"Me? I've been traveling all over the world, experiencing different dimensions and realities," Marcus replied, mixing truth with deliberately vague explanations. "If you ever get the opportunity, you should both consider traveling beyond Gotham to see what the wider world has to offer."
Marcus spoke with a combination of honesty and careful omission, but his suggestion to both students was entirely sincere and well-considered.
Although Gotham was undoubtedly the home of both Bruce and Selina, they couldn't remain confined to this single city forever. They needed to expand their horizons and gain experience with different cultures, challenges, and perspectives that only travel could provide.
Hearing Marcus's advice, both young people nodded thoughtfully, already beginning to consider the possibilities he was suggesting.
Ever since they had received Marcus's advanced battle suits, they had never needed to worry about combat situations again. The technology provided them with overwhelming advantages in any confrontation.
Whether they were facing common street thugs or the more dangerous criminal masterminds that plagued Gotham, all opponents were easily defeated by their enhanced abilities and superior equipment.
But despite their consistent victories, they had failed to bring genuine peace to Gotham. Except for the area immediately surrounding the church, the city remained the same criminal paradise it had always been.
"Maybe we really should expand our horizons," Bruce admitted thoughtfully. "While our vigilante work helps individual people, it doesn't seem to be improving Gotham's overall situation in any meaningful way."
Bruce nodded as he reflected on their experiences. After months of continuous action, he and Selina had patrolled virtually every corner of Gotham, from the most prosperous commercial districts in the city center to the most neglected and dangerous suburban areas.
They had encountered gang wars on multiple occasions, using their superior abilities to defeat all the participants and stop the violence. But these victories, while satisfying in the moment, never seemed to create lasting change.
They simply couldn't transform Gotham into a normal, peaceful city like other metropolitan areas around the world. The criminal culture was too deeply rooted, too systemic to be changed by the actions of just two vigilantes.
"I'll give you both some advice," Marcus said, his tone becoming more serious and mentor-like. "After you finish your current commitments and responsibilities here, consider traveling around the world as explorers and students of different cultures."
He paused to let his words sink in before continuing. "Immerse yourselves deeply in the customs, challenges, and perspectives of different places. As for Gotham, it will still be here when you return, and you'll have plenty of time to address its problems with greater wisdom and experience."
Marcus knew that Bruce's path to becoming the Batman who always had contingency plans and strategic solutions was still a long journey. Travel and exposure to different challenges could accelerate his growth and provide him with the broader perspective he would need for his eventual role as Gotham's greatest protector.
"All right, enough serious discussion for now," Marcus said, clapping his hands together and standing up from his chair. "Come with me to the garden. I want to see exactly how much progress you've made with your training."
Marcus was genuinely curious about the current abilities of his two students. After all, they were his personal pupils, and their development reflected directly on his teaching methods and their own dedication.
Bruce and Selina didn't raise any objections to this request. In fact, they were eager to demonstrate the results of their training during Marcus's long absence. They wanted to show their teacher that they had remained committed to their development and hadn't wasted the opportunities he had provided.
Talking and laughing together, the small group made their way through Wayne Manor's elegant corridors toward the expansive gardens that surrounded the estate.
The garden itself showed clear evidence of intensive training activities. There were two very prominent depressions in the center of the carefully maintained lawn—deep impressions in the earth that marked where Bruce and Selina conducted their daily practice sessions.
After examining the two sunken areas, Marcus nodded with genuine satisfaction. The evidence clearly demonstrated that his students had not been lazy or complacent during his absence.
Although he couldn't yet assess their current skill levels, the physical evidence proved that they had been training diligently every single day, pushing themselves to their limits and beyond.
"Excellent," Marcus said approvingly, his voice carrying the pride of a teacher whose students had exceeded expectations. "I can see that you've both been taking your training very seriously indeed."
After offering this praise to both young people, Marcus settled himself comfortably on a stone bench positioned strategically to provide an optimal viewing angle for their demonstration.
"Now then," he said with anticipation, "show me exactly how much you've grown and developed during my absence."
As soon as Marcus finished speaking, Bruce and Selina immediately sprang into action, eager to display their progress and earn their teacher's approval.
The first aspect of their training they chose to demonstrate was the comprehensive collection of fighting techniques and combat stances that Marcus had taught them during their initial lessons.
Although Selina had mastered fewer total fighting stances than Bruce, she exhibited remarkable proficiency with each technique in her repertoire. Every movement was fluid, precise, and executed with the kind of natural grace that suggested countless hours of dedicated practice.
Bruce presented a different but equally impressive demonstration. While he had indeed mastered a much larger number of fighting stances and techniques, he had chosen to focus his attention on perfecting several specific approaches. The fighting stances he had specialized in were executed with such skill and power that they had clearly evolved beyond Marcus's original teachings.
"Very good," Marcus said with genuine appreciation. "I can clearly see that you've both remained deeply committed to your training and development."
"That's not all!" both students responded with obvious pride and excitement. "We've also made significant progress with the Zenurik school techniques you taught us."
As soon as they finished speaking, a faint blue energy began to manifest around both of their hands. Although the power was still relatively weak compared to more advanced practitioners, it was definitely sufficient proof that they had successfully mastered the fundamental principles of the Zenurik discipline.
"This energy..." Marcus said quietly, his expression becoming thoughtful as he observed the blue glow surrounding his students' hands.
Looking at the energy emanating from both Bruce and Selina, Marcus found himself deep in contemplation about what he was witnessing.
He distinctly remembered that before his departure, when he had instructed them to begin practicing Zenurik techniques, he had left each of them with a small trace of void energy to serve as a foundation for their development.
According to normal expectations, if their training had been successful, they should have been manifesting void energy in their techniques. However, the energy currently flowing through their hands was something entirely different—a peaceful, harmonious force that seemed almost antithetical to the chaotic nature of void power.
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